The 2003 Approximation
"The 2003 Approximation" is the fourth episode of the ninth season of the sitcom The Big Bang Theory. The episode aired on Monday, October 12, 2015. Summary Leonard and Penny finally tell Sheldon that they moved in together leaving Sheldon very upset. He wants to go back to a time when he had no emotions in 2003 before he met Leonard, Penny and Amy. Raj and Howard attempt to form a band after Stuart wants to host live music in his store. Extended Plot Leonard, Penny and Sheldon are returning from the container with an extremely happy Sheldon until he notices them taking his new bin to Penny's apartment. Penny tells Sheldon that since they are married it makes sense for Leonard and her to be is living together. Sheldon gets upset claiming that the whole wonderful day was to deliver bad news to him. Also there was not a bin at the \container store that could hold his disappointment in them. Sheldon is visiting Bernadette to seek female comfort and encouragement about Leonard movin out since his relationship with Amy is strained. Bernadette was honored that he sturned to her until she found out she wasa picked after his mother, Leonard's mother and his MeeMaw were unavailable. And Siri kept giving him the same answers. Sheldon is feeling abandoned so Bernandett suggests that this is an opportunity to find a new roommate since new has had others in the past. Sheldon muses that maybe he can find a better roommate and then rub that in Leonard's face. Bernardette then suggests that he take Stuart as his roomate; however, Stuart says that he is much too happy living with them. Raj and Howard are hanging out at the comic book store and Raj finds a comic book where Archie is taking on Predator. Howard wonders how that could be, while suggests that Jughead may be a Termininator. Stuart asks if the guys know any musicians since he would like to have live music in the comic book store a few times a week giving the place a "staying in business" vibe. Ant kind of music is fine that is free. Raj and Howard have always wanted to play together. Raj wants to play filk music, a mixture of folk and sci-fi themes. Howard likes the idea and even has a band name he has been holding since middle school - "Footprints on the Moon". Sheldon then gives Leonard papers to sign to officially ‘unroommate’ him. When it gets to the point for Leonard to sign and make it official he pauses and there’s a really sweet, emotional moment when he hesitates and says “Man, this is harder than I thought”. Sheldon says “Oh, it’s easy..L..e..o..” And then Leonard signs out of annoyance. Sheldon then implements his "go back to 2003" plan so the apartment goes back to how it looks with the lawn chairs and the tv on the ground. He was screening new potential roommates (3) before he screens someone (who we don’t see yet) saying they’re into science and they’d be perfect before it turns to his computer with Amy on skype looking at him with an expression that says "you serious"? Sheldon asks her, now that Leonard has moved, if she would like to move in with him to replace Leonard. Amy gently declines. Sheldon seeks advice from Bernadette regarding seemingly everybody leaving him. With Amy breaking up and Leonard moving in with Penny, he feels abandoned. Bernadette suggests that maybe he looks at this as an opportunity. When Stuart comes down the stairs she suggests Stuart might be ready to move on and look for a new place to live. Stuart doesn't give it any consideration. Leonard and Penny are talking with Sheldon and he’s slumped over, depressed. Penny comforts him saying it’s okay that they’ll see each other even if they live separate lives. Sheldon points out it'l be a couple of time a week, then they'll buy a house and it'll be a couple of time of a month and even later only on special occaisions. "Like when Howard and Bernadette divorce, or when Raj’s creepy girlfriend finally tells where she hid his body or at Amy’s wedding when she is marrying someone better than me." After that Penny feels super bad and then agrees that they can all “live together” like they’ll spend some nights in Sheldon's apartment and vice versa. Leonard protests and Penny says “just think of him as our dog”. Sheldon perks up saying ” yeah! I’m always happy when you come though the door, I’m scared of fireworks..oh and Fourth of July we are all sleeping here (pointing to his apartment)". Penny finally agrees to sleep there more than half the time. Leonard and Penny hesitantly nod and Sheldon gets all happy and runs off to write up a new revised roommate agreement. Raj explains he and Howard's idea for a singing group to Emily. He then demonstrates a few lines of the song they are working on. She thinks its cute. Raj is devastated. She suggests that maybe they should play something that you can dance to. Later at Howard's house, Raj suggests they play something they can dance to. Howard is taken back. He realized that Emily influenced Raj's thoughts. The discussion digresses with Howard finally saying that the group is broken up. Raj leaves and slams the door. Howard then calls Raj back. Raj asks him what took him so long. They embrace and make up. Earlier they’re having dinner and Amy talks about Sheldon looking for a new roommate. Bernadette says “I’ll give you a thousand dollars to take Stuart off our hands” and Amy kinda looks at her. Bernadette says “just thought you were having a pasty weirdo hole in your life.” Amy then defends Sheldon that he is not a weirdo and is brilliant The gang is at the comic book store listening to Howard and Raj. Everybody is polite and acting like they are enjoying the music. When the song ends, Stuart asks if they could play something they could dance to. Notes *Title Reference: The title refers to Sheldon wanting to return to the unemotional state of his personality before he met Leonard in 2003. *Taping date: September 9, 2015 *This episode was watched by xx.xx million people with a rating of x.x (adults 18-49). *Total viewers including DVR users xx.xx million. *The Big Bang Theory was ranked #x for the week ending xx October 2015. *This episode aired in Canada on Monday, October 12, 2015 with xx million viewers with a weekly ranking of #X. *In the United Kingdom, this episode aired on {date} with xx million viewers and a weekly ranking of #X. *In Australia, it aired on {date} with x.xx million viewers. Critics To be entered. Trivia * Leonard and Penny finally move in together. * Sheldon fears that Amy could meet and marry someone else which upsets him greatly. * Despite breaking up with him, Amy still defends her relationship with Sheldon. * Bernadette is once again dismissive of Sheldon and Amy's relationship by trying to offload Stuart on to her instead. * This could also be considered a reversal of the events in "The Spoiler Alert Segmentation", where Amy wanted to move in with Sheldon, but he didn't want to. * First time Laura Spencer is listed in the opening credits. Quotes To be entered. Gallery 2003 pic.jpg|Sheldon takes the apartment back to 2003. EmilysMouth.png|Laura is back on the set. 200300.png|Taping night. Puppy5.jpg|The cast together to film Raj and Howard playing their song. 904.png|Leonard ending the roommate agreement. 2003.MT2.jpg|Sheldon talking over his roommate problems with Bernie. 2003.MT.jpg|Leonard and Penny decide to sleep over a few nights a week with Sheldon. 0310.jpg|I would have let you have a slip, if you had you own straw. 0308.jpg|Archie vs. Predator? 0307.jpg 0306.jpg|Leonard ending the roommate agreement. 0305.jpg|Working on their Thor vs. Indiana Jones song. 0304.jpg|Sheldon doesn't know them because the year is 2003. 0303.jpg|Playing Emily the song. 0302.jpg|Raj and Howard arguing about their song after he played it for Emily. 0301.jpg|Penny deciding that they'll spend a few night a week with Sheldon. Past9.png|His favorite band name is Footprints on the Moon. Past8.png|Any music as long as its free. Past7.png|Stuart looking for a band. Past6.png|Hanging out at the comic book store. Past5.png|Raj. Past4.png|Bringing in containers to Penny's place for Leonard's stuff. Past3.png|Was this day just to butter me up for bad news? Past2.png|Don't be that way, buddy. Past15.png|Listening to Raj and Howard's band. Past14.png|Footprints on the Moon. Past13.png|Hanging out at the comic book store. Past12.png|Coming back from the container store. Past10.png|Stuart. Past1.png|Sheldon, we're married. Leonard should live with me. Advice from Bernedette.jpg|Sheldon seeks advice from Bernadette, his seventh choice. Opportunity.jpg|Perhaps you can look at this as an opportunity Stuart not interested.jpg|Bernadette suggests Stuart – he is not interested. 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